The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-28
FIGHTINTHEB BEAR PIT
Keeper Harrison, at the Zoo, Nearly Killed
nv Five Hairy Brutes.

Keeper Harrison, at the Zoo, Nearly Killed
bv Five Hairy Brutes.
New York Herald.
PHLADELPHIA, June 27.-There was a
fierce fight among the bears at the Too
logical Gardens this afternoon, the bat
tie lasting nearly one hour.
About a year ago the society was pre-
sented with beautiful little black bear,
which had been captured in AN unset
tied portion of the State. At the time
of its presentation the animal was too
young to be put i'm the pit with the other
bears. SO 1T was placed in a cage adjoin-
| ing the lion and tiger house.
Day by day it grew larger and more
beautiful. 1t was the pet of the Zoo"
Last week Headkeeper Byrne came to
the conclusion that it was old enough to
affiliate with the other bears. 1t was
named Bessie" and on Monday las was
placed in the pit with five others of va
| rious species
All the brutes with the exception of
Danger, a big cruel looking grizzly, took
kindly to the newcomer and showed it
marked attention, and it was not long
before the dormant jealousy of the griz-
ely was aroused, and he began to as
| sume a threatening attitude.
This afternoon Bessie, being in an es-
pecially sportive mood, playfully tapped
| the grizzly alongside of the head with
her paw. Danger retaliated bys knock
| ing Bessie clear across the stony enclos-
| ure, and taking a piece out of her neck
The taste and sight of blood, so long de-
MED the grizzly, seemed to infuriate it
| to the utmost.
| KEEPER JOINS IN THE FIGHT.
The black bear gave vent to cries of
fear and pain, and Keeper George Har-
rison, who happened to be near by seized
"A short iron bar and made a rush
for the pit.
| The visitors hearing the affrighted
cries of the bear and rightly cOnjectur-
ing that something was amiss, hurried
after the intrepid keeper,
Harrison, who is a man of magnificent
build, entered the pit from the rear and
sprang in the midst of the snarling,
swapping, fighting brutes, striking right
| and left.
| The crowd of men, women and chill
dren that hung over the iron railings
gazed with pallid faces upon the COM
hat, which was being waged with fierce
intensity.
/ Frenzied with rage and bleeding from
a score of ugly scratches, the big grizzly
bounded at the daring keeper and bore
him heavily to the hard floor.
s.Oh, my God, he will he torn to
pieces," shrieked a woman, holding her
hands before her eyes to shut out the
scene of death that was momentarily ex-
pected.
Concentrating all his powerful strength
Harrison struggled and regained his
feet. The grizzly, backed up by the
other bears, renewed the attack.
Come out, or you'll be killedr' yelled
a man.
FIGHTING BEARS.
Harrison made no reply, but taking a
firmer hold dealt the nearest animal a
blow on the head that sent it gyrating
across the pit. In an instant the six
frenzied brutes closed around the keeper,
who fought with the strength of a ma
MAC He handled the shaggy coated an
imals as if they Were puppies. But ex-
cited to the highest tension they seemed
not to feel the force of his blows
Such contest, where the odds were
50 uneven, could not last long. Harri-
sons terrific struggle began to tell on
him, and the bears We're as savage in
their attacks as ever, and the spectators
trembled with excitement.
RESCUE NONE TOO EARLY.
At this juncture Head Keeper Byrne
followed by Keepers Ford, Shannon and
Murphy, arrived with stout clubs and
entered the pit. After lively tussle o
ten minutes duration they succeeded il
subjugating the brutes.
Stretched upon the stone floor, its eyes
covered with the film of death, was the
body of Bessie" The other bear
crouched in one corner and glowereC
sullenly at their keepers.
Harrison, his clothing torn in strips
and his face, limbs and bosom indente,
and bloody from the claws of the hrutes
staggered out of the pit to receive medi
cal assistance.
Said he to Herald reporter ''Tv'
Travelled with circuses for many years
and had many encounters with animals
but this one eclipses them all.